I am a mother/teacher/rabbi's wife. These are some of my adventures with kids!

Monday, 30 July 2012

Tisha B'Av (A few days later)

I planned to post activities for Tisha B'av, but forgot that it needed to be done by Thursday. Sorry. Instead this is what we did to make it through the saddest day of the year.

It is extremely difficult to make children (anyone) appreciate the importance of the Beit Hamikdash. We talked about it over the past few weeks, but the gravity of its loss is a hard concept. And it is unfair to deprive them of their innate happiness. Nonetheless, children must know Tisha B'av is a unique day with a different feel.

Gabi woke and asked if we were going to fly to Israel so we could go and cry at the Kotel. I wish!

While I read kinnot, the children took out their colors and drew pictures of the Beit Hamikdash.
Gabi's picture (left) is the outside of the Beit Hamikdash. She included lots of windows and decided that Cohava should be the Kohen Gadol (you can tell from the hair).

Cohava learned about the vessels of the Temple at school and her artwork reflects it. I was impressed by her writing the names of the kelim. I like her 13 branched menorah and the countless lechem hapanim.

The coloring entertained the girls for the better part of an hour, but not the whole day.
When my husband came home from beit hakeneset, he learned Job with the girls. Cohava appeared to understand and appreciate the story. Gabi enjoyed lying down next to them.
After the girls grew bored of that, they moved on to other quiet activities.
In the afternoon we worked on cleaning the house. This is a Sephardi minhag (I believe other communities have a similar tradition) to prepare for the arrival of Moshaich.

Although cleaning house is generally not exciting, we started with an activity the girls enjoy. Polishing the silver! This is fun because they wear silly gloves and get to touch the prettiest things in the house. After that we moved on to bedroom and playroom. The girls were really good. Cohava put on her super cape. But I was getting hungry and the children were getting ratty. So we made sure none of the puzzles were missing pieces. This did use a lot of time. And then we talked about what will happen when Moshiach comes."I want to go on the bird's back! Where can I find an eagle?" Gabi was excited.
"I want to go in an airplane. I think the bird will drop me," Cohava worried.

When the playroom and many puzzles were done, it was time for me to say mincha. The girls decided to try and build the Temple out of legos.
First came Bayit Rishon. The girls were very proud. But then came the Ruti! And she bashed down the building!

Working together, they tried to build Bayit Sheni. They worked very hard and they worked together. I praised them on their achdut and how it was what would build the third Temple.

When it was complete, they looked proudly on their work. Then they brought in lots of their dolls for Teffilah. It was a nes and all of then fit! The girls took them out and began their own pious prayers.